The Veronica Mars movie has arrived, and with it, some heavy criticism about the future of crowd-funded films, fan wish-fulfillment, and essentially, whether or not future Kickstarter campaigns and similar projects could be viable tools to spur other series’ returns to the screen.
Fan wish-fulfillment has been a primary concern regarding the Veronica Mars film, since many viewers, both fans and non-fans alike, point out that the film is less of a stand-alone work, and more of a reunion show created to answer questions the same fans who likely funded the film have been asking since the show initially ended in 2007 (the same people who, in some cases, paid thousands of dollars to appear for a brief moment in the film through Kickstarter). Like A Very Brady Christmas, and similar “reunion” films, the movie has very little to do with its own plot, and much more to do with reestablishing the favorite Veronica Mars characters in the present – ten years later, at their high school reunion. By the end of the film, it’s clear that the past hour and a half was dedicated to believably placing Miss Mars in her former universe without giving the impression she gave up her stellar lawyer life too easily. Same crew of sidekicks, same P.I. dad, same gang fighting with the same corrupt police force. Everybody in their place? Check.
Granted, further discussion with writer Rob Thomas has revealed that while this first “love letter to fans” was exactly that, he hopes his second Veronica Mars film (and new book) would return to the previous whodunit style fans are familiar with. Still, though, if the film succeeded at laying the groundwork for future Mars works, it utterly failed at creating a storyline and presenting a group of characters that non-fans would find intriguing. Which is exactly why many fear the future of crowdfunding – if it does begin to truly evolve, would we be continually subjected to hour and a half long finales?
It’s here, #Marshmallows! Get your hands on the #VeronicaMars novel by @RobThomas and @jgriffingraham http://t.co/RgMQ7lFOJA
— Veronica Mars (@veronicamars) March 25, 2014
More than a few have compared Veronica Mars’’s return to Serenity, the film capstone of the series Firefly, which was created by Joss Whedon. Firefly fans were another group absolutely devastated by the cancellation of the show, and were ecstatic when Serenity allowed them a final chapter from their beloved outer space crew. However, Serenity can be watched coherently without any previous knowledge of the series, something that the Veronica Mars film cannot claim. Sure, viewers may understand the basic premise of the Veronica Mars movie (celebrity gets murdered, Veronica used to date the suspect, there’s a high school reunion, etc.) but without prior knowledge of the show all of the inside jokes would be lost, and they were. One could even say the dialogue often felt like one “did you catch that?” moment to the next. Non-fans might also have noticed that some of the side plots, mainly the corrupt police force, existed primarily to toss in three or four extra characters superfans would have missed.
In the end though, the fans were pleased, and while the film itself may not have done much to bring in an increased following, the fact the the original series is watchable online in its entirety may have contributed to a growing fan base, even before the film debuted. After all, the film was heavily promoted, due to its Kickstarter success and Warner Bros. backing, well before it had even begun production. In January, two months before the film’s release, Amazon was able to provide exclusive online streaming rights to all three television seasons of the show, so chances are that more than a few curious investigators were sucked into the show.
#VeronicaMars #1 TV season on iTunes right now. All three seasons in the top 25.
— Rob Thomas (@RobThomas) March 17, 2014
According to social media tool Viral Heat, those who did see the film are already begging for more, and almost 20,000 people have continued to discuss the merits of the film this past week as it continues to trickle digitally and through theaters to new audiences:
Because, despite everything, I still haven’t gotten QUITE enough of Veronica Mars in my life, I just bought the soundtrack. *hums*
— sarahdessen (@sarahdessen) March 22, 2014
In the end, the film itself may not have been exactly what fans and curious new watchers had expected, or even hoped for. But it did serve its purpose in regenerating interest for the series, and whether that series returns again as a show, continued films, or only in book form, it’s guaranteed Veronica won’t be disappearing anytime soon. Let’s hope though, for the enjoyment of all future viewers, that crowdfunding is used even more wisely in the future, and we aren’t subjected to a slew of fan fulfillment films that destroy what was better left untouched.
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